"Web Page Sinks Job Candidate"
"Online Persona Can Ruin Your Shot at That Job"
"MySpace Shuts Doors to Potential Workplaces"
"Risque Photos Make Resume Irrelevant"Headlines such as these have been plastered across the newspapers lately, and I was recently quoted in the following New York Times article, "
For Some, Online Persona Undermines a Resume." This article and the idea of employers searching the Internet to screen job candidates is an issue that is receiving a lot of attention.
At JobBound, we help students and professionals get a great job. We offer advice on the job search from constructing your first resume and dressing for the interview to following up with a thank-you note and negotiating a job package.
When we advise students to wear a business suit to an interview, we're not telling them that wearing faded jeans and a t-shirt (which is probably more comfortable and more self-expressive) is wrong. We are saying that first impressions - whether they are right or wrong - count when it comes to getting a job.
As career consultants, we're saying bottom line: Employers are now using the Internet to screen candidates. Therefore, we advise job seekers to clean up their online image if they're serious about the job search.
Interestingly, we’ve received quite a bit of feedback from students saying it’s wrong or even unethical for companies to use online tools to search potential job candidates. Quite frankly, I just don’t buy that logic.
Just like a job seeker would go to a company’s website to do research, and even “google” the company President or seek out blogs that have information about what it’s like to work there, companies are doing the same.
We live in the information age, and everyone seeks out as much information as they can before they purchase a product, contract a service, or even decide where to work. A company is making a huge commitment by hiring a new candidate, and they want to get as much scoop as they can. Sure many things on Facebook are done in jest, but nevertheless, they do say a lot about a candidate.
The fact is, most blogs and online sites are public. Employers can even legitimately access information on Facebook. Facebook is open to individuals with an .edu address, which includes alumni and university staff. In our case, I have a .edu as an alumni, so I went on Facebook to check out a potential candidate for a JobBound internship.
So even this Facebook information isn't strictly private. If you're smart about it, you can simply change your privacy settings, make sure only confirmed friends can view your profile, and "google" yourself to make sure you're projecting the image you want.
By removing some of these outside discriminations and prejudices from the picture, you can let your resume, your interview, and your true skills and qualifications for the job speak for you.
www.jobbound.com
